Sri Lankan badminton team takes wing to SAG in Nepal

The 24-member Sri Lanka Badminton team left the country in the early hours of last morning to participate in the South Asian Games men’s and women’s badminton events, which will be held in Pokhara, Nepal. 

The main games will be held in the capital Kathmandu, so the Sri Lankan badminton team must travel inland to the picturesque hill station in Pokhara where the badminton events will get underway at the Pokhara National Stadium.

The Sri Lanka badminton team kits, including shoes and racquets, are all sponsored by YONEX, which they will proudly sport in their quest for supremacy in Nepal. While India remains the hot favourite for gold, Sri Lanka is expected to mount a challenge even without the experience of Niluka Karunaratne, who is recuperating from an ankle injury sustained on the international circuit where he is targeting the Tokyo Olympics next year. 

The Sri Lanka men’s team is led by local champion Dinuka Karunaratne while the women’s team is led by the experienced Achini Ratnasiri.

The SLB Team Manager is veteran administrator Thilak Jayasiri while Indonesian Tony Wahyudi is the Head Coach supported by Assistant Coach Duminda Jayakody and Team Trainer Asoka Jayasundera. 

The players and officials are all primed for the competition having spent one week training in the cold climes of Bandarawela to adjust to the expected conditions in Pokhara.